Visitations

One evening on the way to dinner, I saw deer standing beside the Commons building. In the golden light of the magic hour, they looked like ghosts of the forest.


As though all the creativity and happiness had conjured them up.


They were very tame, didn't seem at all concerned or afraid of so many people walking by.


There were three or four of them, standing in the slanting and fading sun of the daylight, wandering and eating.


I liked the magic of the moment. The Golden Hour light falling on them, casting their shadows across the newly green grass, lighting them like animated statuary.

Opie and Linda Burn Daylight and Cast Stones

I enjoyed all my classes.

The locations were fun, sometimes the light was better in one room than in another. But the buildings were quaint.


Linda and Opie O'Brien gave their "Set in Stone" class in the Chapel. That's Linda walking through the classroom before everything got started.


Lots of good information on patinas and soldering with a small torch to create a bezel.


The ceilings are very high, the building is very open inside. The tables set beside the tall windows helped bring in the natural daylight. Fortunately it wasn't a rainy, overcast day.


Everyone got attention and demonstrations, a lot of great useful information was shared and practiced.


Linda and Opie really know their metalworking, and can share that information, even to novice learners.


Not everyone who comes to Artfest for the first time has a lot of prior experience.


But everyone gains a lot, even those who come with previous creative backgrounds.


Some are more organized, and do a lot of preparation.


I tend to jump right in, and let things go with the flow, especially with a one-day class like these, where you must grab and experience all you can during the time available.



At vendor night I bought one of their two-hole punches, I managed to blunt one side of the Wizard hole punches I brought with me. They have them on their website. I also want to order a nibbler from them for making windows in copper.


And see the little mermaid from a trade with me? This is the lady that made all the lampwork fish for trades. Gorgeous!


Linda and Opie are quite a team, they work together to support their students, and each other, to ensure success for everyone. It was fun to hear them speak during the presentation for all the teachers in the little theater building, they are very funny. And knowledgeable, too.

If you get a chance to take a class with them - grab it!


Here are the photos of my two projects from their blog ...


- and if you follow the link you'll see other students' work there, too.

Trading Part 1

I thought it would be fun to show some photos of the trades and cards I got at Artfest.


I got some cool things from some very talented people.


I met Michelle Geller, she gave me the pretty little sand dollar charm.


And Sue Clark, who made this resin pendant.

There were creative cards and magnets. I put the magnets on the refrigerator, to remind me of all the exciting events from Artfest.


A cool box with seaglass and a quotation card inside.


This great hand stitched charm, isn't it fantastic?

Hearts, Eyes, Hands

The experience of Artfest is more people than place.


The hands of the creative makers. The students. The sights of the soul, made evident.


The hands of the teachers, sharing.


Guiding, supporting. Directing, demonstrating. Giving.


The beginnings of new things. New knowledge, new friendships. New confidence, new encouragements.

Neighbors of the spirit, artists in kind. Beautiful spirits, united for a short few days in time and space.

Gift Medallion Chains of Honor

Before I left for Artfest I made a focal bead, with the word 'ART' in the center, wings on the sides and some faceted gemstone beads for hanging it that were a gift from a favorite vendor. I didn't have time to make the chain, but I wanted to wear it to the first day of class, before I had a chance to create something new.


When I arrived at Artfest and the trades began, I got lots of goody bags with ephemera, beads, charms and other goodies inside. So I issued myself a challenge, to create the chain for the focal using things that were new, and given to me as trades at Artfest.


The idea was to make the finished piece a memento of the trip, with things that were part of the Artfest experience, given to me by other people there.


My roommate Stacie gave me a gear, and the heart medal dangle that I attached to the chain.


The goldtone glass beads and carved ivory-looking roses were in a package of ephemera, along with the round disk I added to the chain.


The golden cupid was also a gift from Stacie, and together with the conch shell began to tell the story of the piece, as I learned that conch shells are sacred in Tibetan art.


It became a medal of honor and distinction, with the love and creativity embodied from the whole Artfest experience.


I love how it turned out, and the serendipity effect of not deliberately needing to select the items, and the fact that most were gifts. My Artfest Medallion of Honor that I wear quite often, with great happiness and pleasure!

Book of Trades

Before I left for Artfest, I made up and decorated a three-ring binder to keep everything together. I know myself, I sometimes put things aside or they get separated, and I wanted to unify my Artfest collection of goodies, class materials and handouts.


I took a regular, paper based three-ring binder and put gesso on the inside and outside of the front and back.

Then I went wild with some paint, when I was cleaning my palette after painting some beads. Just let the colors fall where they would go on their own.


Inside I put plastic sheet protectors, both the kind that hold 8 1/2 x 11" full sheets, and the kind that hold 3" x 5" photos. I put my class lists, itinerary and other things I needed inside, but left lots of open sheet protectors for collecting new goodies.


This is how that book turned out - I have a lot of my favorite cards, little tins, mini-Moo and trades inside, all protected and kept together. Anytime I want to find something from Artfest, it's all in there, and it's fun and easy to share with friends who want to see what came home with me.


I need to re-organize the things in the book to make it easier to see everything, but I'm very glad I did this before I left, I didn't have to worry about losing some wonderful creative thing someone gave to me! A book of memories from the trip ...

Did You See This Woman?

When I arrived at Artfest, my roommate Stacie picked me up at the airport and we went to her studio to prepare charms and make some art, to limber up the art muscles, so to speak. I had this neck pouch from an event I attended some time ago, it was corporate bland and had no color, but I liked all the zippered pouches and places to store things.


So Stacie opened up her paint cupboard to me, and I started painting it, and adding text. One of my favorite quotes is by Picasso, he said "Art washes away the dust of everyday" - so I altered that slightly and painted it onto the pouch. I bent and hammered some steel wire to make hangers attached on the bottom, to display the charms I hoped to collect during Artfest.


Here's what the back looks like, I wore this neck pouch every day, adding cool things here and there as I got trades and goodies of all sorts.


I got a painted rock with the word "FEARLESS" which I thought was both a descriptive and an encouragement to branch out and try new things.


I got a slide carrier with a shell image in it, and a stick pin with Sea Devils on it. Too fun!


So if you saw me wandering around during Artfest with this jingly-jangly neck pouch on, yes! that was me! If you see one of your charms, felted beads or bottle-cap charms in these photos be sure to leave a comment here, so I can find you again.

And if you have one of my mermaid charms and make something with her, let me know, I'd love to see how they turned out for you.